Automotive vehicles typically include several electronic devices that must receive electrical energy to operate, and that sometimes must send and receive electrical signals to other electronic devices. Wiring harnesses are typically used to provide conductive pathways through the vehicle for transmission of electrical power and signals among electronic devices and power sources such as batteries. Wiring harnesses typically include a plurality of electrical connectors that are engaged with corresponding connectors on the electronic devices during automotive assembly.
One type of electrical connector includes conductive elements, e.g. pins, that are engageable with sockets on a corresponding type of electrical connector to establish electrical communication between an electronic device and the wiring harness. Maximizing the density of the conductive elements minimizes the size of the electrical connector and thus improves packaging efficiency. However, maximizing the density of the conductive elements, by minimizing their size, reduces their mechanical strength and thus the ability of the conductive elements to sustain nonaxial loads due to misalignment of the two connectors during insertion of the conductive elements into the corresponding sockets.
A shroud typically surrounds the pins to protect them from nonaxial loads, and is often used to align the sockets with the pins during the mating of the two electrical connectors.